IN A GLASS CAGE

Agustí Villaronga,
Spain,
1986, Cult Epics

“Spain’s increasing cinematic freedom during the ‘80s produced nothing more harrowing than this astonishing, utterly fearless debut feature from filmmaker Agusti Villaronga. This film was eventually discovered by adventurous horror connoisseurs, who quickly placed it alongside SALO and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST in the pantheon of beautifully-made cinematic atrocities. However, even among such barbed company, this one still packs a punch that leaves many viewers reeling long afterwards.” (Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital)

“Villaronga's sick-assed drama will best stick in your memory as an oppressive masterwork of dread in the guise of an art film. Gunter Meisner (“Mr. Slugworth” from WILLY WONKA) stars as a Nazi war criminal who experimented on boys during the war, now living safely in Spain. But when he becomes trapped in an iron lung, a mysterious young man is hired on as his nurse -- and just by coincidence, this kid was (1) violated by the bastard years earlier, and is (2) totally out of his fucking mind. He starts slowly by reading aloud from the Nazi's graphic journals, but soon progresses to recreating atrocities with the (unwilling) assistance of local urchins, and taking control of the entire household -- eventually turning the incapacitated swine's dark past back on himself for a surreal revenge-fueled finale. A shower afterward is optional, but recommended.” (Steven Puchalski, Shock Cinema)